ABF The Soldiers’ Charity has awarded a grant of £35,000 to the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre (DMRC) Benevolent Fund to continue the work of its social integration and rehabilitation programme.
The DMRC is a clinical rehabilitation centre for the Armed Forces. Its mission is to return as many serving military personnel who are injured, sick or wounded back to full fighting fitness so that they can return to frontline duty. Alongside their excellent clinical services, the DMRC offers a diverse range of holistic, occupational and social integration initiatives to allow patients to regain their confidence and adapt back to daily life. The funding for these activities is provided by the DMRC Benevolent Fund.
The DMRC Benevolent Fund seeks to increase patients’ exposure to activities that many of us take for granted. This might mean taking trauma patients to sporting events with large crowds or a patient with chronic pain to a café via public transport. In addition, the charity provides a wide array of specialist equipment and holistic services such as driving lessons in adaptive cars, special seatbelts for high level spinal patients and cardiac pacing machines.
The benefits of the programme are enormous, providing a much-needed boost of motivation and morale as people come to terms with the impact of their injury or illness.
The centre is currently in the process of moving from Headley Court to a new facility at Stanford Hall. During this transitional time, The Soldiers’ Charity is delighted to be able to provide support to enable the DMRC Benevolent Fund to continue its sterling work.
Lt Col Tim Clarke, Officer in Command at the DMRC Benevolent Fund, said: “The incredibly kind grant of £35,000 from The Soldiers’ Charity to the DMRC Benevolent Fund is greatly appreciated. This helps support the aim of the DMRC Benevolent Fund in providing holistic, occupational and social integration initiatives and specialist equipment, that enhance the treatment our patients receive and contribute to their extraordinary outcomes.”
Brigadier (Ret’d) Robin Bacon, Chief of Staff at ABF The Soldiers’ Charity, adds: “The complementary therapies and activities the DMRC Benevolent Fund provide are a vital part of returning our wounded and ill soldiers to full health. What the charity delivers is a comprehensive rehabilitation programme that focuses on rebuilding patients’ confidence and self-esteem as they discover old skills and develop new ones. On the behalf of The Soldiers’ Charity, I’d like to say how grateful we are for the work you do.”